Speedo Tri Comp Wetsuit Review

Acid Test: Would I Buy Another If Stolen?
Answer: Yes! It’s a great triathlon wetsuit.

Who is it aimed at?
In my opinion this wetsuit will suit someone who intends to take triathlon seriously. It is aimed at the swimmer who needs some buoyancy. It has several features, some of them innovative, that set it apart from the <£150 entry level suits. So if you can afford the £230 or so price tag this could be just what you are looking for.

This is a link to the Speedo page on Amazon.

What do you get for the money? A wetsuit, nicely and supportively wrapped.  I’m not sure what else I was expecting! No extra instructions other than that which is on the label..I think they missed some post-purchase branding reinforcement opportunity there.

Buying a wetsuit is a tricky thing. If you think about it the FIT of the suit to YOU is VERY important. Probably MORE important to any of the features on the suit itself. With that in mind the suit fits me well. Like many other suits I’ve worn, possibly a little tight round the shoulders. Trying on a wetsuit is all well and good but over time the fit will change and loosen up a little. So if you can it’s probably good to do some sort of hire-and-try-before-you-buy type thing – the reason being is that the suits will be used and stretched.

Anyway. It fits nice. So that’s the basis for a good review.

I’ve used it a couple of times in a pool and in a lake. So I’ve got the feel for it.

My chunky bike-thighs fit nicely into the legs which is unusual in suits that are ‘my size’. The bottom of the legs are well above my ankles so it’ll take a lot of stretching though wear to get anywhere near my feet! Be sure to look at the Speedo sizing guide as there may well be 2 suits that you could theoretically fit into. eg the ST and M overlap.

I have pretty puny arms and shoulders but the fit is snug, QUITE snug. Out of the water it only feels a little tight over the shoulders and I make sure to get the crotch and armpits sorted properly before diving in.

Anyway, overall the out-of-the-water fit is GREAT overall.

Buoyancy: This suit has bottom loaded 5mm Y39 Yamamoto 39 cell neoprene rubber with Super Composite Skin (SCS) and Smooth Skin coating (whatever that is) which is the max allowed under ITU rules.

In the water this suit feels QUITE buoyant. To me this suit almost makes me feel like floating flat in the water, similarly when moving in the water my feet certainly break the surface…maybe even too much!

I like the Speedo TriComp and The Blueseventy Helix…I like the Zone3 Aspire as well. They are all good suits. The 2Xu equivalent is raved over by a mate.

So how does it fare in the water? Well luckily I’d just done some testing. The result? Pretty much the same time as 2 other similary priced suits! Actually 3 seconds faster over one test.

However this suit does tire my shoulders quite a bit and it feels like I am fighting a bit. Even more so than the Aspire. 400m is fine but it gets progressively harder fighting with the shoulders over that. Note to self: gym beckons.

Anyway you don’t need your shoulders much after the swim. And as I only do Sprint or super sprint (800m – 400m) based races then I’m not too bothered. If I were training for an Ironman I might look more closely at this (Edit: Did a HIM and an IM Swim – no probs).

Still, swimming’s good right?

Another feature is the forearm panels. Supposedly a power generator. I can see the logic, just as I can see the logic of the water catch panels of the HIGHER PRICED (£500) Speedo suits but again I just don’t know if they make any real difference (I guess they do MAKE SOME DIFFERENCE).

Oh, and another thing, with this suit I have my best ever 400m time.

Despite all of this the suit is a little hard to get out of with no glide on. Surprising considering how well my legs and arms are accommodated.

The zip goes down and the velcro at the top tends to naturally come undone so that’s one easy movement there. Optionally the loose zip end can be fastened to the Velcro panel at the base of the zip (or tucked in the neck bit).

Rubbing?: Yes a little but probably because I didn’t quite get it on right.

Problems: Nope, not really.

Over rating: 9/10. It it fits you, buy it.